Kensei
"Every army needs warriors whose specialty is victory. Kensei-sword saints: the guardians of our people. Every great ruler since the fall has trained as a sword saint... every one. And they are formidable. The nodachi was long thought too long too large for use in real war. They proved them wrong. Their armor is the strongest of our people... as is their will." Kensei are a playable hero in For Honor. Overview The living incarnations of Bushidō, the samurai way of the warrior, or as close as one can get. Masters of multiple martial arts, they are trained from infancy to fight and die for their emperor or their fellow samurai without asking why. Kensei wear heavy armor and fight with the nodachi, a longer version of the katana that cleaves enemies in a few elegant and powerful strikes. Kensei spend their lives fighting and training as they strive to attain a level of perfection few other warriors can ever hope to achieve.https://forhonor.ubisoft.com/game/en-US/game-info/heroes/kensei.aspx Armor The Kensei's wears a solid metal curiass with the face of a dragon molded on the front and a gray sleeveless coat on top of this. A katana and wakizashi can be seen sheathed at his waist under his obi sash. The Kensei can always be easily identified thanks to their massive sode that hang off their shoulders. Their kabuto has a crescent crest at its front. Their face mask is known as Menpõ. It is constructed from iron and/or leather, and covers the face from the nose to the chin. The Kensei's Menpõ, in particular, is red with a lacquered finish and features a mustache, a soul patch and fierce teeth, meant to serve as both protection and an effective method of intimidation against foes. Weapon Nodachi - The nodachi is longer than the classic katana. It was initially designed to be used from horseback, as it was unwieldy for foot soldiers. Kensei samurai of the Dawn Empire have the strength and necessary skills to use them as effectively as katanas. Feats Tier 1. *Fast Recovery - Passive - Stamina regenerates faster. *Body Count - Passive - Killing soldier grants you health and stamina. *Iron Lungs - Passive - You can still sprint when out of stamina. Tier 2. *Inspire - Allies deal more Damage, soldiers fight faster. *Smoke Bomb - Throw a smoke bomb on the ground that breaks the lock. *Chilling Stare - Nearby enemies have lower attack and defense. Tier 3. *Second Wind - Recover some of your health. *Long Bow - Fire a long bow for heavy damage. *Steadfast - Gain immunity from throw attempts for a short duration. Tier 4. *Arrow Storm - Aerial attack that deals medium damage in multiple areas. *Stalwart Banner - Nearby allies continuously regain health. *Unblockable - Your attacks can not be blocked for a short duration. Fighting Style Kensei are balanced samurai armed with nodachi. They are slower than other units but have longer melee range. They provide interesting defensive abilities and deliver devastating attacks. *Difficulty: Medium *Adaptable Fighting Style *Good Melee Range Special Capabilities *High Heavy Attacks are Unblockable *Many Maneuvers and Attacks Initiate Chain Attacks Moveset Hero Specific *'Renown' - Earn more Renown in outnumbered fights, by controlling objectives, and by killing enemy soldiers to unlock your feats in a match. *'Revenge Mode' - Boosts Damage and Health. All Attacks are Uninterruptible. Parry and Throws knock enemies down. Attacks are Auto-Parried on activation. *'Chain Starters' - Helm Splitter, Swift Strike and a Guardbreak can initiate chains. *'Throw Into a Chain Finisher' - Any Throw can be followed up by any Chain Finisher. *'Top Heavy Finisher Unblockable' - Finish any Chain with a Top Heavy for an Unblockable Attack. *'Top Heavy Finisher Cancel' - Top Heavy Finisher Startup can be cancelled by: A Side Light Attack or A Side Heavy Attack for an Uninterruptible Side Heavy Finisher. *'Zone Attack' - Cancel Zone Attack after the first Attack with B (XB1). Moves (From Guard Mode) Icon Legend Executions *Evisceration **Once you pull your nodachi, take a step back before spinning around and dragging your blade through your opponent's stomach. *Insert New Spine **Pull your nodachi to force your opponent to their knees so you can walk up and jam your blade into their neck and down their spine. *Beheader **Pull your nodachi out and step back to bring your opponent to their knees so you can step forward and slice their head clean off. *Groundstab **Once you pull your nodachi out let your opponent fall to the ground so can walk up to them and plunge your blade into their back. Trivia *Kensei literally translates to sword saint or sword master. *The Kensei's armor hails from the earlier Samurai periods, wearing a kozane curiass and massive sode. *As battlefield weapons, nodachi could not be carried on their waists like normal swords as they were too long to be drawn or sheathed and often had to simply be carried by hand. **This can be seen with the Kensei when sprinting they hold their nodachi to the side as opposed to other classes like the Orochi or Warden, who sprint with their swords sheathed. **In real life, nodachi is more often used as ceremonial items than as practical weapons, due to difficulty in crafting one and few have the necessary strength and skill to wield one. Media Images Model Kensei helm and Menpõ.png Kensei shoulders.png Kensei standard.png Stills For Honor Orochi Kensei Shugoki Nobushi.jpg|A Kensei alongside a Orochi, a Shugoki, and a Nobushi. For Honor Kensei 3.jpg Viking campaign vs kensei.jpg Knights - warden vs kensei.jpg Action kensei.jpg Signature samurai.png Videos For Honor Trailer The Kensei (Samurai Gameplay) - Hero Series 1 US For Honor - Kensei- Emotes & Executions External links *Official Cosplay Guide References es:Kensei Category:Heroes Category:Samurai Category:Vanguard